Full Circle
by ice princess deluxe
Summary: Ten-part story done for the LJ community ten by ten. There was a saying in the Fire Nation, that when one door shut, a window opened. Iroh and Lu Ten, complete.
1. endings and beginnings

**Title:** Endings and Beginnings  
**Author:** iceprincessd  
**Rating:** G  
**Prompt:** Colors (#1 gold silk)  
**Characters/Pairing:** Iroh + Lu Ten  
**Warnings/spoilers:** As a whole, pre-show with a small bit of post-siege of Ba Sing Se.

**Summary:** When one door closes, a window slides open.  
**Author's Note:** This has been rolling around my head for a while now. Iroh's one of my favorite characters in this series, but I haven't really gotten a handle on how to write him. First in the series for the LJ community tenbyten (www . community . livejournal . com / ten (underscore) by (underscore) ten / profile). The rules are to take ten different prompts and write ten stories that innerconnect in some way.

* * *

The exact same time that Prince Iroh's son drew his first wailing breath, his wife quietly sighed her last. Iroh had been there to witness both; his hand clasping his beloved's, willing her skin to say warm even as her life drained away.

The midwife had warned them that the pregnancy would be difficult early on. Iroh had doted on his wife more than usual, not letting her do hardly anything. She had laughed at him, kissing him sweetly and reassuring him that women had carried children for centuries; that what she was going through wasn't anything new. She had been so caught up in the joy of it all, taking time to carefully decide every last detail of their soon-to-be-born child's nursery from the furnishings all the way down to the color and material of the blankets. He had been caught up in her enthusiasm, marveling at how his heart could be full to bursting with the love he held for her and still have room for someone that he hadn't even set eyes on yet.

Now, eyes dry, Iroh could only stare at the red and wrinkled child the midwife held. Bending down to gently close his wife's eyes, he kissed her forehead – her hair still damp with sweat and stuck to her skin – and left the room.

The following days were a blur. He remembered people offering condolences, his father telling him that funeral arrangements were taken care of, and the piercing cries of an infant that he no longer wanted being quieted by someone. He spent the better portion of those days curled up in his now too-big bed, the pillow cradled in his arms still smelling like her. When the time came, he woodenly stood and stared as flames licked at the shroud-covered body, smoke stinging his eyes. Surprisingly, no tears fell.

After the third week, the whispers started. The Dragon of the West was now a shell of the man he once was, moving through his life like a ghost. He hardly ate, rarely slept, performed his duties mechanically, and most importantly of all, refused to see his newborn son. A son. He hadn't looked at him since his birth.

"You've mourned for long enough." His father's words made Iroh's head snap up.

"I didn't know that there was a time limit."

"Normally, no, but you are not only a man that has lost his wife. You are next in line to rule this nation when I die. That places you in the position where weaknesses are frowned upon." The words were stern, but his eyes were kind. It was no secret that Fire Lord Azulon favored his eldest son. "Let her go. She would not have wanted you to live like this, to have you die alongside her."

Iroh walked away and didn't sleep that night.

The next morning, he stood on a hilltop overlooking the sea. It had been _their_ place, one where they first shyly met in their youth and then later on went to when they wanted to be away from everything and everyone else. The urn in his hands was cold and though it was now empty, it felt strangely heavy. The scent of recently scattered ashes tickled his nose, though he swore it resembled her perfume instead. He set the urn down beneath the tree that had witnessed so many of their moments together, knowing that she would have wanted it there.

"His name is Lu Ten."

Iroh didn't turn to see who had come up behind him. Ursa was the girl his younger brother was courting; she and his wife had been close since she came to the palace. "I know his name." _She_ had picked it, liking the way it sounded.

"And yet you do not see him." A swish of material sounded as she walked closer to him. His shoulders tensed when he heard the tiny sounds of a baby. "I wish you didn't hate him so."

He closed his eyes. "I don't. I…" He didn't know _how_ he felt.

Ursa continued. "It's very sad that this child has not only lost his mother, but his father as well." She stood beside him now. "He'll never know her, but you can make certain that he knows you."

Iroh turned his head, finally looking at the infant wrapped in red and yellow silk. Lu Ten had changed since the last time he had seen him; his skin was pale and smooth instead of red and wrinkled, his head full of dark hair no longer plastered to his scalp. Ursa gently transferred Lu Ten to his arms, her hands silently showing him how to hold the child. She quietly took several steps back, allowing him his first real moment alone with his son.

His vision blurred. Tears stung as they slipped down his cheeks, the first in many weeks. How he could have ignored this child, this perfect mixture of his love and himself, was beyond him. Pressing trembling lips against Lu Ten's forehead, he breathed in a new scent: powder, baby, life. It didn't wash away the comforting jasmine that would forever remind him of her, but it did remind him that there was something here to live for.

There was a saying in the Fire Nation that when one door closed, a window slid open. It was usually saved for military maneuvers that failed only to provide another opportunity of attack, but it came to Iroh just then. Yes, his wife was dead. It wouldn't ever change the way that he felt about her. She had given him a great gift, and now that this small life had cleared away the layers of grief he had been hiding under, all the wonder and love he had experienced before his birth came rushing back.

He ran a finger over Lu Ten's cheek, marveling at how soft his skin was. "It's just you and me now." _Please, let me do this right._


	2. curiousity killed the fire cat

**Title:** Curiosity Killed the Fire Cat  
**Author:** iceprincessd  
**Rating:** G  
**Prompt:** Places (#5 Library)  
**Characters/Pairing:** Iroh + Lu Ten  
**Warnings:** none  
**Summary:** There are some books that one should handle with adult supervision.

* * *

Iroh's personal library was littered with various scrolls and parchments, all ready to impart their vast knowledge to whomever desired to open them. For a scholar, it would have been a paradise. Five-year-old Lu Ten preferred to count the tiles on the floor, hopping from plain tiles to ones that had lotuses engraved on them. He tried to keep quiet while his father searched for something, he really did, but it was hard when the temptation to pretend that he was a lion-ant was so strong.

On Iroh's part, he filtered out the roaring his son was doing on the other end of the room as background noise. There was a bit of information that was niggling at the back of his mind all day and he wanted to see if it was true or just something that he might have made up that morning in the place the mind rests between sleep and alertness. Here in his library he felt at ease, the scent of old paper and ink familiar comforts. He was so intent on finding what he was searching for that he failed to notice when lion-ant Lu Ten's roars had stopped.

Head cocked to the side, Lu Ten was on his hands and knees when he found a scroll that had supposedly fallen from a lower shelf that had rolled under a low table. It bore a broken seal emblazoned with the Fire Nation sigil, which he instantly recognized from his lessons at school every day. Crawling further under the table, he stuck his tongue out as he reached for it, the tips of his fingers barely brushing the parchment. He let out a small noise of triumph when he managed to grab a hold of the scroll, then, imitating his father, he carefully unrolled it. What was inside made his eyes widen.

Disappointed that the Earth Kingdom did _not_ have a very prosperous port city that specialized in the blending of specialty teas – the position of the city would have been beneficial to his nation should his father's army invade and the trade that they were renown for would have made conquering it all the more enjoyable – Iroh suddenly realized that the sharp odor of burning paper was quite out of context. Snapping his head up from his maps and texts, he found that the reason his son had been so quiet was because he was trying hard to stamp out a small fire. Running over, Iroh doused the flame with the remains of his tea.

After making certain that Lu Ten was unharmed and the fire completely out, he bent and picked up the soggy piece of parchment. It had only gotten scorched at the edges, and once the tea had dried from it, it would be fine. He frowned as he recognized the images as bending forms. "Which one were you trying to do?"

Glad that his father wasn't angry with him, Lu Ten pointed to one. "Soaring Phoenix. See?" He raised his arms to mimic the first part of the form, but Iroh put a hand on his shoulder.

"Wait!"

Lu Ten ducked his head. "Sorry."

Using his thumb and forefinger, Iroh tilted his son's head up. "Why don't we practice these outside instead?" He couldn't stay angry, not when his son was so curious to learn something new. "But there's a new rule. No firebending in the library."


	3. playing with fire

**Title:** Playing With Fire  
**Rating:** G  
**Prompt:** a block of ice (#2 Things)  
**Characters/Pairing:** Iroh + Lu Ten  
**Warnings:** none, pre-show  
**Summary:** "I'm freezing!"

* * *

"It's freezing!" Lu Ten complained, shivering from where he stood, his feet bare. His father sat nearby, both of them on their moon viewing pavilion. Iroh was more warmly dressed than his son, and he held a steaming cup of tea in his hands.

Blowing on the liquid so it didn't scald his lips, he took a sip. "Would you rather wait and learn this technique in the middle of summer instead?"

"No." The answer was grumbled back to him, which made Iroh's lips quirk upwards into a smirk.

"Then?"

"I just wish I didn't feel like a block of ice," Lu Ten grumbled, staring at the gardens. The shrubs and trees were covered with a blanket of snow, a rarity here in the Fire Nation. This winter had been particularly cold and ordinarily he would have delighted in the change of weather. Stripped down to a single shirt and pants more suited for the blistering summer heat had quickly changed his tune.

"Concentrate on your breath. Feel it warm your lungs, then make its way up and out the throat. Widen your stance; your feet are too close."

"I feel silly!"

"You'd rather freeze?" He was probably enjoying his son's discomfort more than he should have, but his own father had taught him the Breath of Fire the same way when he had been ten. Seeing that Lu Ten had reached that exact age, Iroh had thought it was as good a time as any to pass on his knowledge. "Straighten your back, your rear is sticking out instead of being parallel to the ground."

Lu Ten made the proper adjustments to his stance and then focused on breathing. He could feel his stomach expand with each inhalation and shrink back to its normal size as he exhaled through his mouth. As with any other firebending technique he had already been introduced to, he concentrated on the inner spark of power that came before each move. Mentally, he visualized it as his body being one spark rock and his breath the other, both of them coming together as one to form the flame. His eyes closed, he didn't see how each breath he exhaled formed more fog in front of his face than the last.

"Good, now with the next exhale, breathe fire." Lu Ten heard his father's command. Just as he had been taught, he felt his breath warm his belly and lungs, then come up his throat and out his mouth.

"Excellent!" Iroh said. Eyes still closed, Lu Ten heard his father clap. Slowly opening his eyes, he saw that Iroh hadn't been applauding, he was frantically trying to stamp out a fire. What had used to be the twin to the chair Iroh had previously been sitting in was now reduced to a pile of blackened wood.

"Sorry," Lu Ten said, ducking his head.

"There's nothing to be sorry about,my son," his father told him, coming up and placing a hand on his shoulder. "You did quite well for your first try. Your next lesson will be about proper aim."


	4. come marching home

**Title:** Come Marching Home  
**Author: **iceprincessd  
**Rating: **G  
**Prompt:** a soldier (#9 People)  
**Characters/Pairing:** Iroh + Lu Ten, Ozai  
**Warnings: **none, pre-show  
**Summary:** "I'm going with you."

* * *

"Do you have to go?"

Iroh paused in putting his armor on and turned to his young son. "Yes, I do."

Lu Ten frowned and held onto his father's sword. The scabbard was heavy and it dragged on the floor, but he kept the hilt from scraping on the tiles. "Will you be gone long again?" The last time his father had left, he had been away for almost a year. Aunt Ursa had read many a letter from the front lines to Lu Ten, but it hadn't been the same as having his father back home beside him.

"I don't know, my boy. It depends on how fast we can overtake this portion of the coast." One of the Fire Nation's strongholds on the edge of the Earth Kingdom had been overcome by revolutionaries, and the Fire Lord was sending out both of his sons to put the rebellion down there and to expand their grasp on the territories elsewhere.

It would have been as easy to simply send Ozai, but their father had taken Iroh aside and requested that he go to keep his younger brother's line of destruction in check; Ozai had the habit of doing more damage than was necessary and the fertile lands would be valuable for growing crops to feed their people. It wouldn't do to send colonists to a burnt wasteland.

"Then I'm going with you." Iroh watched as Lu Ten's chin tipped up and his eyes took on a stubborn glint. "I'm old enough; I can be a soldier too." As if to prove his point, Lu Ten tried to pick the sword he was holding up higher. His arms shook with the strain, but he kept it upright.

Iroh's eyes softened. "And one day," he said, fastening the last clasp on his armor, "you will join me on the battlefield."

Lu Ten's eyes fell. "But today isn't the day."

Iroh plucked his sword from his son's hands and strapped it to his side. "No, it isn't." He knelt and took both of his son's shoulders in his hands. "Where I need you to be is here, at home." He didn't know how to explain, but he also needed his son to be the eleven-year-old boy that he was. Once Azulon died and Iroh became Fire Lord – a stage in life that Iroh hoped would happen many, many years down the road – Lu Ten would have to grow up as Prince Lu Ten, heir to the title. As it had happened to him, his son would have to grow up quickly, spending hours with tutors on proper protocol and procedure to prepare himself for the day he became Fire Lord Lu Ten. There would be little time for playing and games.

Lu Ten nodded. "So I can practice my bending?"

Iroh smiled, grateful that Lu Ten was an agreeable child. "Among other things." He gathered his son into a hug, his hand cradling the back of Lu Ten's head, his hair sliding through Iroh's fingers like silk. "Behave for your aunt, she's going to need your help with young Zuko." He looked over his son's shoulder to see Ozai with his wife and newborn son. He couldn't make out what his brother was saying, but he kissed Ursa's cheek before turning to mount one of the two komodo rhinos waiting for them.

"I love you, my boy." He gave Lu Ten one last hug before joining his brother. Kicking the flank of the komodo rhino, he led the contingent of soldiers out of the main gates.

"I love you too, Father!" Iroh swiveled in his saddle and watched as Lu Ten ran along the path next to them as fast as his legs could carry him. He stopped a little ways past the main gate, his arms waving madly in the air as he waved goodbye.

"Your son needs to learn restraint," Ozai muttered, his lips curving downward in a frown.

Iroh shook his head. "Just you wait, in a few years your own son will be running along beside him."

"I should hope not."

Iroh sighed. _And that,_ he thought as he watched his brother take the lead, _is the difference between you and me._


	5. beach day

Title: Beach Day  
Author: iceprincessd  
Rating: G  
Prompt: Actions (#2 Laugh)  
Characters/Pairing: Iroh + Lu Ten, Zuko, Azula  
Warnings: none, pre-show  
Summary: Apples never fell far from their trees.  
Author's Note: I probably messed up with the ages, but I've put Lu Ten as eleven years older than Zuko and Zuko a year older than Azula here.

* * *

Iroh sat back and watched his niece and nephew play in the sand along with his son. Ember Island was always a favorite retreat of his, far away from the palace and its stifling protocol and procedures, especially during the height of summer. There, he would have been trying unsuccessfully to avoid running a finger around the sweaty collar of his shirt to try and get an errant puff of cool air to circulate around his skin. Here, he was able to bask under the shade of an umbrella, sip refreshingly cool drinks, and keep one eye on the children laughing in the surf while keeping the other firmly glued on the pai sho board at his side.

"That gambit won't work," he admonished, sliding another of his tiles onto the board. "You should have attacked from the west."

"Perhaps I'm lulling you into a false sense of security," Ursa joked, propping her chin on her hands. "One of these days, I'm going to beat you when you least expect it."

He laughed. "Knowing you, I don't expect anything less." His concentration was jerked from the board at the distressed cry coming a few feet away. Both parents looked to their children. Lu Ten was holding a shrieking four-year old Azula away from a smoking pile in the sand.

"She killed it!" Zuko was yelling, running up to his mother, clearly upset. A year older than his sister, Zuko held back the tears that were threatening to spill over his eyes. "I was going to bring it home tonight and she killed it."

"It was a spider-crab, Father," Lu Ten explained, Azula still in his arms. His free hand cupped her foot. "She got too close and it pinched her. It was an accident."

Ursa stood up and inspected her daughter's foot. "It doesn't seem to have broken the skin," she said, reaching out to get Azula from Lu Ten. Azula sniffled and buried her face against her mother's neck, but Iroh saw the triumphant little smirk she gave Zuko behind their mother's back. Zuko made a noise as if he were going to protest, but Ursa reached out and took his hand. "Come on, let's get back to the house and clean your sister up."

"It wasn't really an accident," Lu Ten said when he and Iroh were alone. He sat down next to his father and cleared away the pai sho board for a fresh game.

"Somehow, I didn't think it had been." He frowned and glanced at the still burning crab. Thinking back to his own youth, he remembered Ozai taunting the wildlife in the same manner. Sometimes, apples didn't fall far from their trees.

"I just said it was because I didn't want to upset Aunt Ursa." At sixteen, Lu Ten reminded Iroh of a taller version of himself. "And Azula was already screaming; it wouldn't do if I took Zuko's side either. She would have just screamed even louder."

"Diplomatic of you."

Lu Ten shrugged. "They're not my children; I don't really have a say in how they act." He set out a white lotus tile in the center of the board. "It was the crab's nature to nip at whatever was provoking it. It probably thought her foot was food."

Iroh placed another tile. His son was learning; if he wasn't careful, he'd wind up losing to him. "Still, I can't help but feel sorry for Zuko."

"I know." Lu Ten frowned when his father blocked a move. "That's why I'm going to make it up to him with something from the markets. It won't be alive, but I saw some nice carvings of local animals at one of the stalls."

Iroh looked up at Lu Ten. His son was busy concentrating on the board in front of him, his dark hair falling into his eyes. Reaching out, Iroh tucked the errant strands behind his ear and patted his cheek like he used to when he was younger.

No, apples did not fall far from their trees; Lu Ten was as thoughtful and considerate as his mother had been.


	6. of girls and tea

Title: Of Girls and Tea  
Author: iceprincessd  
Rating: G  
Prompt: Events (#8 Tea Party)  
Characters/Pairing: Iroh + Lu Ten  
Warnings: none, pre-show  
Summary: Some things, Iroh thought with a sigh, were not hereditary.

* * *

The tea shop Iroh and his son sat at was a favorite of theirs. It had become tradition that every day after Lu Ten's lessons, they would come and order a cup of jasmine tea and talk about the day.

Lu Ten was in the middle of complaining about complex mathematics when he stopped mid-sentence and grew as red as his tunic.

"What's the matter, my boy?" Iroh asked, worried that his son's tea had gone down the wrong pipe. He whacked at his back with a palm, making Lu Ten wheeze.

"Nothing," Lu Ten managed to mumble, slinking down in his seat as a trio of girls walked by, two of them giggling madly. Iroh noticed that the third was just as red-faced as his son.

"Isn't that General Cho's niece?" he asked conversationally, taking a sip of his tea.

"Yes."

"My, I haven't seen her since she was a girl; her family only recently moved back from the colonies, haven't they?"

"Yes."

Iroh grinned. "And she certainly is a pretty one."

"Yes." Lu Ten sighed, then caught himself. "I guess," he added lamely, running his finger over the wood of the table. "I mean, if somebody liked that type of girl." If it was possible, his face got even redder.

"She certainly seemed to admire you."

Lu Ten perked up. "Do you think so?"

Iroh laughed. "And why not? You're a handsome young man. Why don't you invite her over?"

"This isn't a tea party," Lu Ten hissed, shyly looking out of the corner of his eye towards the table the three girls had sat themselves at.

"It could be, if you wanted it to." He knew that his presence would probably cramp his son's style, so he elbowed him playfully. "Why don't you ask her to take a walk? The capital's gardens are lovely this time of year."

"Do you think she'll go with me?"

"You'll never know unless you try." And with that, he unceremoniously pushed his son to the wolves. Or girls, which was the case here.

Lu Ten nervously patted at his topknot and straightened his tunic before purposely walking towards the girls' table. Before he could get there though, he bumped into a server.

"I'm sorry!" Lightning quick reflexes were the only things that saved Lu Ten from wearing five cups of tea, though he got an ugly look from the server. Iroh winced. "Hi," he said, coming up to the table.

Two of the girls giggled into their cups. "Hello," the third said, looking down at the table before looking back up at Lu Ten through her eyelashes.

He rubbed the back of his head. "You're in my geography class." There was an awkward silence where both teens looked away.

"So…" the girl asked, biting her lip.

"Yeah, so…" There was a rush of giggles from the two friends, but it seemed to galvanize Lu Ten. "Do you like to walk?" he asked, taking a large breath. "I mean, _everybody _walks, because how else would we get from place to place, but do you like walking?"

Iroh refrained from slapping his palm against his forehead. Obviously, he was going to have to sit his son down and explain to him the fine art of charming women. Iroh himself had never had a problem attracting women, but apparently charm was not hereditary.

"Are you asking me out?" the girl finally asked.

"Yes?" Lu Ten cleared his throat and straightened up. "There's some new flowers in the gardens that were brought back from the southern colonies, I thought you might want to go look at them."

The girl blushed. "I'd like that."

Iroh watched as his son held out his arm and as the girl took it. Lu Ten gave his father a covert grin before walking out. Iroh watched them disappear down the path with an approving nod.

"Well. Perhaps he already knows all he needs to know."


	7. practice

Title: Practice  
Author: iceprincessd  
Rating: G  
Prompt: Emotions (#8 Frenzy)  
Characters/Pairing: Iroh + Lu Ten, kid!Zuko  
Warnings: none, pre-show  
Summary: "How did you get so good, cousin?"

* * *

Leaning back on the heels of his hands, Lu Ten stretched his legs out in front of him and watched his cousin go through his daily forms.

"Angle your foot out more, you'll distribute your weight better," he helpfully offered, watching as Zuko widened his stance and continued assaulting his invisible opponent with a frenzy of sword swings. The boy had taken an interest in swordsmanship and had asked Lu Ten if he could help with some basic moves. Lu Ten hadn't minded; he had the afternoons free to do what he wished and Zuko was always eager to learn.

Besides, the pond that Zuko liked to practice by was a favorite spot for girls Lu Ten's age to walk around. He _definitely _didn't mind _that_ at all.

Taking his attention from one of the aforementioned girls, he glanced back at his cousin. The wooden sword he had given Zuko to practice with had once belonged to him when he had been his cousin's age. The blade was smooth with age yet bore several nicks and dents that no amount of sanding would take out. As a boy, Lu Ten hadn't been exactly cautious with his practice swords, and they bore the marks from his opponents as consequence. That and he learned the hard way that the metal railings lining his home could not be chopped in two with anything made from wood.

"Here," Lu Ten said, standing up and going to his cousin. "Hold it like this." He took the blade from Zuko and assumed a stance that came easily to him from years of training.

"Now try to push me off balance," he said, planting his feet firmly underneath himself. He grinned when Zuko shoved him as hard as he possibly could, putting all his slight weight against Lu Ten's legs.

"Why aren't you moving?"

"That's because I angled my foot out. See?" He tapped his foot against the floor for emphasis. Swinging the sword once, he handed the hilt back to Zuko. "Mountains are not easily moved because they have such a firm grip on the ground."

"I wish I could be as good as you," he said, mirroring Lu Ten's stance.

"You will; it just takes practice." He reached down and ruffled Zuko's hair. "I didn't get to be this fantastic overnight, you know," he joked. It had taken years and years of him learning from his various tutors and the occasional tip that his father's friend Piando would give whenever he visited the palace twice a year. Now that he was old enough, he knew that the two men were part of some society or another, but he couldn't figure out just yet what they were about. There were times that he hated the fact that the doors to his father's library were so thick.

"You have Uncle to practice with, that's why you're so good."

Lu Ten nodded. He and his father would often spar in the evenings, and Iroh did not believe in pulling any of his punches. Even though there were times that Lu Ten found himself sprawled across the training mat, it was exciting to know that he could go up against the Dragon of the West on a near daily basis.

That's when he caught the barely concealed note of envy in Zuko's voice. It wasn't the fact that Lu Ten practiced with Iroh, it was the fact that Lu Ten practiced with his _father_ that mattered. More often than not, Uncle Ozai could be found inside the war rooms and Grandfather Azulon's hall of records where the laws of their country were kept more than he could be found with his family. The lack of attention that he gave his son was apparent, especially to one whose father acted in the exact opposite manner.

"And you'll be good too, because you've got me to practice with." Keeping his hand on Zuko's shoulder, he gave him an encouraging smile, which Zuko retuned. "Come on, show me what else you've got."


	8. breathe

Title: Breathe  
Author: iceprincessd  
Rating: G  
Prompt: Words (#7 Breathe)  
Characters/Pairing: Iroh + Lu Ten  
Warnings: none, pre-show  
Summary: He would often watch his son sleep.

* * *

It was a habit of Iroh's to watch his son sleep. When he was younger, Lu Ten often lay still, causing Iroh to sit at his cradle and watch for every inhale and exhale, just to reassure himself that yes, his son was indeed breathing. As he aged, Lu Ten became a more active sleeper, flopping all over the place as if there were an unconscious need for his body to take up as much of the mattress as possible. Yet as he reached adulthood, Lu Ten once again began to lay quietly, his breath deep and even. And even though his son was now a man, Iroh would stand at the doorway and watch, the rhythm of Lu Ten's breath soothing after a long day.

What Iroh didn't know was that as his son aged, it became a habit of Lu Ten's to watch his father sleep. Iroh was a still sleeper, and Lu Ten often found himself standing at his bedside and staring down, reassuring himself that yes, his father was still breathing. At twenty, Lu Ten fully understood his father's duties and the toll that they took on him. Iroh's hair was still thick, but a fine peppering of grey was starting to creep in at his temples. The lines around his mouth and eyes might be shrugged off by his father as laugh marks, but Lu Ten had seen his father purse his lips far more of late than laugh. Talks of taking the Earth Kingdom's seat of power at Ba Sing Se were becoming more and more frequent, and while he was more than ready to go and fight as part of the Fire Nation's army, he was concerned about Iroh even more.

And that was why every night, Lu Ten would feign sleep, staying as still as possible until his bedroom door would close and the light his father held faded down the hallway. He'd wait for a while before slowly walking down the hall and carefully sliding his father's door open. In sleep, Iroh's face was free of the tension that he held during the course of the day. Lu Ten would stand there and wonder what he could do to make his father's duties easier for him.

And while he stood there, he wondered if some day he would be in his father's place, taking comfort in the sight of his future children drawing breath.


	9. within reach

Title: Within Reach  
Author: iceprincessd  
Rating: G  
Prompt: Foods (#8 Bread and Water)  
Characters/Pairing: Iroh + Lu Ten  
Warnings: none, pre-show  
Summary: A quick moment at the end of a day.

* * *

The flap of the tent was pushed aside and Lu Ten wearily entered. "The North wall is still secure, Father."

"Casualties?"

Lu Ten shook his head. "None, but there were a few injuries. Nothing serious; the Earth Kingdom's troops haven't had an opportunity to get near enough for lethal blows."

Iroh nodded and made room for his son at the low table he was sitting at. He had anticipated Lu Ten's arrival and set out a few rations for their evening meal. "Things are going well. If they continue, Ba Sing Se will be ours within the month."

Lu Ten tore off a heel of bread and chewed thoughtfully. "I'm looking forward to having something more substantial to eat," he said, reaching out and taking a long drink of water from a nearby cup. "Siege food is getting really old."

Iroh grinned. "Just one of the perks of being in the army, my son."

"No, I mean, the siege food is getting _old_. I wouldn't be surprised if I cracked one of my teeth on this." He tapped the piece of bread on the table to illustrate his point, noting how the chunk made a solid thump on the surface without losing its shape. "What do you have there?"

Iroh brushed off the piece of parchment he held. "I'm just finishing a letter to your cousins." He glanced over at the wooden box that contained the gifts he intended to give his niece and nephew. "I hope that they like what I'm sending."

Lu Ten didn't have the heart to inform his father that Azula wasn't the type of little girl that enjoyed playing with dolls. Well, not in the traditional sense, at least. He'd often caught her holding court with her toys, and instead of pretending that they were her children or friends as other girls would, she treated them as if they were her minions and subjects instead. "I'm sure that Zuko will appreciate the knife," he said instead.

"He's a good boy," Iroh agreed, rolling up the parchment and placing it inside the box. "He might be a late bloomer when it comes to firebending, but he has a great amount of potential." Giving his son a sly look, he tilted his head. "And what of you? Have you already written to that pretty girl you've been seeing?"

Lu Ten's face broke out into a huge smile. "Twice this morning already."

His father shook his head. "Young love. Does this mean that I may gain a daughter-in-law soon?"

If possible, Lu Ten's smile grew. "Perhaps." He looked down at the table and traced the wood grain with his finger, his expression suddenly falling. "We've lost over a year together, and if this siege keeps up, then it will make two years that we haven't seen the other. Letters aren't the same as being face to face."

Iroh put his hand on Lu Ten's shoulder. His son had already spent his twenty-first birthday on the front lines; it wasn't fair that he'd have to be away from someone he cared about for so long. "If there was any way that I could end this quickly, I would." As it was, he was trying hard to retain much of the outer wall's integrity; when they took the capital, the more defenses that they could keep intact the better. That way he could concentrate on his troops beginning the process of crowd control and keeping the anticipated rebellions down to a minimum.

Lu Ten gave his father a small smile. "I know." He yawned, his jaw cracking. "I'm going to bed. Tomorrow is another day and my commanding General is a terror when he doesn't get enough sleep." The last bit was said with a cheeky smirk and a jab of his elbow against Iroh's side.

Iroh laughed and gave Lu Ten's arm a gentle shove. "Insolence will not be tolerated in my unit," he threatened. It would have worked better if he had a more serious look on his face though. "But you are right; it's getting late and tomorrow is a new day. Who knows what it might bring."

Lu Ten rose from his seat and went towards the tent's exit. "Who knows, indeed."


	10. full circle

Title: Full Circle  
Author: iceprincessd  
Rating: G  
Prompt: Quotes (#3 "This is the way the world ends" – T.S. Eliot, "The Hollow Men")  
Characters/Pairing: Iroh + Lu Ten, Zuko  
Warnings: Character death, set during flashback events in Zuko Alone  
Summary: After this door slammed shut, he didn't know if there even was a window to open.  
Author's Note: Iroh + Lu Ten claim complete.

* * *

He stood with his back to the tree overlooking the ocean. Twenty-one years ago he had stood in the exact same place, the urn in his hands heavy and the scent of his wife's ashes on the wind. The landscape remained unchanged, and he stared down at the new urn he held, cradled in his arms as if it were an infant. He had scattered his son's ashes hours ago, but he couldn't bring himself to let go and walk away just yet. He was keenly aware of the talk behind his back, just as he had been all those years ago. And just as he had been then, he couldn't bring himself to care what others thought of him. This time, instead of the whispered gossip of how he had shut down after his wife's death, talk had turned to not only his failure at not capturing Ba Sing Se, but how his disgrace had caused his father to appoint Ozai as the next Fire Lord.

He shut his eyes and turned his head away. He had received the news of his father's sudden death as soon as he had stepped foot back on his home soil. The trip back home was silent, letting him digest all the new information that had come his way. Kneeling before the curtain of flame, Iroh's pledge of loyalty to his brother had been accepted and he had been allowed to stay. Iroh thought that it had been generous; Ozai could have easily banished him.

"So, this is the way the world ends," he murmured to himself, opening his eyes and staring at the urn in his arms. His beloved son was gone, his father as well. He had been stripped of his rank, the title of Prince now going to his nephew. His brother was Fire Lord, and Ursa was nowhere to be found. His countrymen might have believed the story that Ozai gave them as to why he had become the heir to their father's title, but Iroh didn't buy it for one second. The complete lack of mourning for both his father and his missing wife told him that something was not right, but Iroh was powerless to do anything about it.

And with his father gone, there was no one to tell him when his period of mourning for his lost son was over. He held the urn closer to his chest, thinking that it was ironic that when Lu Ten first came into the world, Iroh hadn't wanted anything to do with him. Now, he couldn't even begin to contemplate how he would go on without him.

"Forgive me, my boy," he said, tears blurring his vision. "I couldn't help you." It wasn't hard to go back to that day, to the stench of burnt earth and blood from the battlefield. They had gotten close enough that Iroh could practically taste victory; the end of the siege was within his grasp. The day's battle had been particularly fierce, their lines slowly pushing through the Earth Kingdom's defenses.

It had been a miracle that he had even found Lu Ten alive. His injuries were so severe – stones bent into arrow points had pierced his armor in so many places, and there had been so much blood – that it was impossible to move him. And even though the light was already fading from his eyes, Lu Ten had still gripped his sword tight in one hand and held his other weakly out to fire on whatever enemy he thought Iroh might have been. Once he had realized that it was his father in front of him, he had reached out, his hand searching for Iroh's.

There hadn't even been time to say goodbye. Iroh had shouted for help, his hand cupping Lu Ten's face, the other gripping his son's hand tightly, as if the strength of his hold alone would keep him alive. "Everything is going to be all right," he had assured him, panic creeping into his voice, even as he tried to keep the emotion in check.

Lu Ten had looked up at him and nodded. "I know." He had squeezed Iroh's hand once, then his fingers went slack, his breath leaving his body with a gentle sigh and his eyes closing as if he were merely asleep. The soldiers he had shouted for found Iroh holding his son's body close to him, oblivious of the blood that stained his clothes. He had looked up at them and with a final kiss to his son's forehead, he had stood up and walked away. If anyone had asked him where he had gone, he wouldn't have been able to tell them. All he remembered was that one moment he had been at his son's side and that the next he had been stumbling away from the battlefield. When he finally made his way back, the officers under him had looked at him as if he were insane, but they followed his orders to retreat without question.

"Uncle?" The sound of his nephew's voice broke Iroh away from his thoughts.

"Yes, Prince Zuko?" It felt strange to call his nephew by his full title, but protocol demanded it.

Zuko stood near the tree, looking lost in his white mourning clothes. "I…" he started, frowning as he tried to find the right words. "I'm sorry about cousin Lu Ten."

"Thank you."

"I wanted to thank you for the knife," Zuko told him haltingly, words tripping over his tongue as if unsure that they were appropriate for the situation. "I really like it."

"That's good. Lu Ten…" His fingers ran over the urn. "He thought that you might like it." His throat tightened and the words came out thicker than he had meant them to. They stood there and looked at the other, not knowing what else to say.

Zuko broke the silence. "My mother is gone." The boy's chin quivered, but he didn't cry.

Iroh looked down at his nephew. He put aside his own grief and saw a child that had just been dealt a great loss and didn't know exactly how to deal with it. His mind once again went to shut doors and windows that were waiting to be opened. Turning, he gently set his son's urn down against the roots of the tree, leaving it there with one last touch, his fingers smoothing over the polished surface just like they used to smooth Lu Ten's hair away from his face as a child. "I'm sorry."

He had meant to hug his nephew to comfort him, but as Zuko's tears soaked into the material of Iroh's tunic, he couldn't help but wonder if the tight grip the boy had around his neck was meant to comfort him as well. "Come," he said, leaning back and wiping at his eye with a knuckle. He took a breath and was surprised to find that his chest didn't feel as heavy as it had been. "Let's get out of this wind."

They made their way down the hill, Iroh's hand on Zuko's shoulder. At the bottom, Iroh glanced back up at the tree that had witnessed so many moments in his life, first with his wife and then later with his son. He didn't say goodbye to either of them, because he knew that one day he would see them again.

Until then, he and his nephew would find their way through their grief and eventually move on, but at least they wouldn't have to do it alone.

End.


End file.
